CEO Taly Russell founded SilverChair Partners to offer a high touch and personalized placement experience for both her clients and candidates. Comprised of a team that boasts over 18 years of collective experience, SilverChair Partners places the highest caliber Personal and Executive Assistants with industry leaders in finance, media, technology, advertising, real estate, management consulting and retail. With a love for the search industry, Taly has placed over 1,500 candidates with a 90% retention rate – almost unheard of in the job placement industry. Learn how to land your dream job with Taly’s interview tips and empowering success story as a CEO and female leader in the job placement industry.

I love what I do and establishing SilverChair Partners allowed me to create a passionate environment to connect clients and candidates.

What inspired you to create SilverChair Partners?

I was inspired to create SilverChair Partners after spending ten years in the business of matching high performing executives with their indispensable assistants. I love what I do, and I wanted to go back to doing it in a higher touch and more personalized way. We place candidates in all types of support roles for top tier clients across industries such as media, private equity, hedge fund, technology, and start-ups. We focus on getting to know both our clients and our candidates very well, and this helps us have an emphasis on finding the perfect fit. I love what I do and establishing SilverChair Partners allowed me to create a passionate and professional environment to connect clients and candidates.

What are some of your favorite success stories?

Ah-ha! That’s classified information. But I will tell you that I have personally placed over 1,500 great people in their support and HR roles prior to founding SCP. Since founding SilverChair Partners just under two years ago, we’ve made over 125 placements at over 60 different companies – spanning from the finance industry to luxury brands and high profile and/or celebrity clientele. We take the time to not only get to know our candidates and clients, but also act as a coach and guide employers on how to better their search processes in order to always hone in on the exact candidate they want. Our clients usually work with us exclusively and our retention rate is close to 90%, which is unheard of in this industry.

What are the characteristics you look for in an excellent candidate?

We're always looking for someone who is genuinely passionate about what they do. We can spot inspiration and work ethic from the get-go. Even if one doesn’t have a clear direction or specific industry goal at the outset - a person who is hardworking, well-spoken, and has a great attitude will stand out from the crowd.

What advice do you have for candidates applying for their first job out of school?

Be open – to opportunities, to people, to learning, to improving, to asking questions, to taking constructive criticism. Keep your resume concise and tailor it to showcase your most relevant experience and skills for each position for which you're applying. Always, always, always prepare before any interview. Do your research on the person you’re interviewing with, the company, and the position itself. Lastly, ALWAYS check everything you write or email for typos. This is a biggie for making a good impression with potential employers and colleagues!

We'll continue to find clients the best candidate to support them and find candidates a position that will challenge, excite, and help them to grow.

What is the biggest interview mistake candidates make?

Similarly, it comes down to being prepared. If a candidate does the proper research, he or she will know the culture and be able to determine the best light in which to present themselves. He or she will know the appropriate way to dress, to talk, what questions to ask, and how to handle themselves in the interview.

What is your advice for how women can best promote themselves and their skills in an interview or networking setting?

In an interview or networking setting it's appropriate to discuss the responsibilities of your current and past positions and your relevant accomplishments. Sharing your experience, skills, and passions are a great way for people to gauge who you are and if you would be a good fit. It's just as important to be careful that you don’t go overboard and start bragging – keep your comments short and sweet!

What are your tips for how to be impressive the first year on the job?

Your first year is a learning year. You’re getting acquainted to the job, the atmosphere, and the culture. Be patient with yourself and others. Try to take initiative, but ask questions when you have them. Everyone started at the beginning!

What is your vision for SilverChair Partners five years from now and the opportunities for your candidates?

I see SilverChair Partners continuing to partner with the highest caliber clients and candidates in every industry. We'll continue to find clients the best candidate to support them and to find candidates a position that will challenge, excite, and help them to grow. We'll never be a large staffing firm / volume placement shop. We'll turn away searches (business) we don’t feel is a good fit for us and we'll continue to never compromise quality of service or candidates in order to increase our bottom line. The goal of SilverChair Partners is to have the highest quality brand in Executive Assistant/Personal Assistant job placement.

And internally? My overarching goal is that every employee of SilverChair loves their job, has a balanced life, and does what they love to do best - match great people with great jobs! Candidates see how much we love our job and are inspired to seek that same love for their career in their next job. It’s a win-win for all!

What are your greatest lessons learned as a female entrepreneur?

I learned to follow my passion. Listen to your gut. ALWAYS. And just go for it. Don’t be afraid to take a stand behind what you believe in and make your dreams a reality.